Jordan Nixes Power For Water Deal With Israel Over Gaza War, FM Says

Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Sousi Mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, early Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Sousi Mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, early Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP)
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Jordan Nixes Power For Water Deal With Israel Over Gaza War, FM Says

Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Sousi Mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, early Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Sousi Mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, early Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP)

Jordan announced Thursday that it was dropping a planned deal with Israel to exchange solar energy for desalinated water, saying the Gaza war had made it unthinkable.

"The energy for water deal was supposed to have been done last month, but we are not going to sign it," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera in an interview.

"Can you imagine a Jordanian minister sitting down with an Israeli minister to sign an agreement while Israel is killing our own in Gaza?" AFP quoted Safadi saying.

"What Israel is doing has created a climate of hatred in which there can be no normal peaceful relations."

The two countries signed a declaration of intent to exchange Jordanian solar energy for Israeli desalinated water in Dubai in November 2021 as part of an agreement brokered by the United States.

But nearly six weeks of unrelenting Israeli bombardment of Gaza in response to the shock attack by Palestinian militants on October 7 that killed more than 1,200 people have sparked a wave of anger in the kingdom.

Thousands have taken to the streets demanding the abrogation of its 1994 peace treaty with Israel and the closure of the Israeli embassy.



FAO: Yemen Floods Displaced Over 9,000 Families in One Month

A person and his children stand near a flooded stream caused by heavy rain, in Sanaa, Yemen, 02 September 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
A person and his children stand near a flooded stream caused by heavy rain, in Sanaa, Yemen, 02 September 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
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FAO: Yemen Floods Displaced Over 9,000 Families in One Month

A person and his children stand near a flooded stream caused by heavy rain, in Sanaa, Yemen, 02 September 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
A person and his children stand near a flooded stream caused by heavy rain, in Sanaa, Yemen, 02 September 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

As Yemen's rainy season nears its end, UN data showed that widespread flooding in August led to the displacement of over 9,000 families.
In August, Yemen faced an emergency situation as widespread flooding triggered a major humanitarian crisis across multiple areas, said the Agrometeorological Early Warning Bulletin published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) this week.

It said that the frequency and intensity of daily rainfall decrease. However, the landscape remains severely affected by recent heavy precipitation.

The Central Highlands, with their mountainous terrain channeling water into valleys and lowlands, continue to experience residual flooding effects.

Despite early warning messages issued by various organizations, including FAO's Food Security and Nutrition Information System, the severity of the floods surpassed expectations. These events resulted in: Displacement of over 9,000 families, extensive damage to personal property and infrastructure, and significant disruption to livelihoods and daily activities.

The floods occurred with an intensity that overwhelmed local capacities and exacerbated existing vulnerabilities in the country, said the bulletin. The scale of the disaster underscored the challenges faced by Yemen in managing hazards and highlighted the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

According to the bulletin, in the near future, Yemen is expected to experience varying levels of precipitation, with certain regions facing significant rainfall - Central Highlands and Southern Uplands.